Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Comic day!
The comics arrived today; I haven't opened the box yet, and probably won't get to read them for a few days now because of other stuff that's coming up over the next week or so. When I do, I'll save the ones I'm most looking forward to for last. I guess this is unusual--so many folks put their faves first on their reading list--but that's just me, apparently. Never wanted to eat dessert first, either.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Kid sidekicks again
I came across a site today with a huge selection of old (and new, I guess) comic book covers, so I spent way too much time today trying to figure out how accurate my impressions of just how useful the old-time kid sidekicks were, were. Granted that I haven't read the inside of these books, and this is going entirely by the covers, I dont think I was too far off.
Robin - sidekick of Batman - Started out being captured fairly regularly (9 out of the first 20 covers he appeared on), but after that it became a less frequent occurance; this possibly has to do with the cover styles, which tended to be more fantastic than most of the old Timely covers I've seen--plenty of giant scissors, floating heads and so forth. Robin always seemed particularly cheerful about his predicament, but of course Batman was always on his way to the rescue.
WWII-era DC books were apparently not particularly topical, and although I've heard about Batman using guns in his early appearances, I didn't see any of that on his covers as you do on the Captain America books--the DC heroes' connection to the war seems mostly to have had to do with selling war bonds.
Bucky - sidekick of Captain America - Out of 66 issues he appeared on, he had been captured in about 1/3. of them. Timely was pretty creative about this--my favorites are #28, where he is waiting to be crushed by a spiked 5000-pond platform, and #62, where he is being lead to the axe by statuesque miniskirted blondes.
Oh, and this interested me--all those complaints I saw last year from folks when the Winter Soldier storyline came out, about how the original Golden Age Bucky's extensive use of weaponry was inaccurate? Starting in early 1943 through the end of the war, just about every cover he was on featured him with a machine gun or a flamethrower. In fact, the only covers where he didn't have some weapon in hand were the ones where he was chained to a wall or otherwise out of commission. It may be that this doesn't reflect the stories inside the covers, I don't know, but I found it surprising.
Toro - sidekick of the original Human Torch - Tied up or otherwise immobilized in about 1/3 of the covers he appears on. For the most part they chain him or put him in an airtight box rather than tying him with rope. Particularly neat was this dynamite-lined plastic capsule.
In just about every instance of a sidekick being captured, the main hero is in the process of rescuing him. Robin is never worried, and apparently has all confidence in his mentor; Toro and Bucky occasionally display a bit of anxiety, but more often they are clearly ready to join the battle as soon as they are freed. I wondered what would be the dynamic here if there were no "adults"--so I looked at some covers of Timely's Young Allies series (a WWII-era book featuring a team of all kids, including Toro, Bucky, and four non-super types, possibly on the theory that the average joes would be easier for the young readers to relate to?). What happens is that the super-powered kids take the role of the older heroes with respect to the other team members--here in the first issue, all of the other kids have been tied up by the Red Skull (and, apparently, Hitler himself, who had nothing better to do in 1941). In fact, out of twenty issues, all but four featured at least some of the non-super kids tied up or otherwise captured. Someone has to be the rescue-ee, I guess. They also--unlike Toro or Bucky--are often armed on these covers, presumably an equalizer to put them more on a level with the powered kids. (Yes, I know Bucky didn't have any super powers per se.)
Robin - sidekick of Batman - Started out being captured fairly regularly (9 out of the first 20 covers he appeared on), but after that it became a less frequent occurance; this possibly has to do with the cover styles, which tended to be more fantastic than most of the old Timely covers I've seen--plenty of giant scissors, floating heads and so forth. Robin always seemed particularly cheerful about his predicament, but of course Batman was always on his way to the rescue.
WWII-era DC books were apparently not particularly topical, and although I've heard about Batman using guns in his early appearances, I didn't see any of that on his covers as you do on the Captain America books--the DC heroes' connection to the war seems mostly to have had to do with selling war bonds.
Bucky - sidekick of Captain America - Out of 66 issues he appeared on, he had been captured in about 1/3. of them. Timely was pretty creative about this--my favorites are #28, where he is waiting to be crushed by a spiked 5000-pond platform, and #62, where he is being lead to the axe by statuesque miniskirted blondes.
Oh, and this interested me--all those complaints I saw last year from folks when the Winter Soldier storyline came out, about how the original Golden Age Bucky's extensive use of weaponry was inaccurate? Starting in early 1943 through the end of the war, just about every cover he was on featured him with a machine gun or a flamethrower. In fact, the only covers where he didn't have some weapon in hand were the ones where he was chained to a wall or otherwise out of commission. It may be that this doesn't reflect the stories inside the covers, I don't know, but I found it surprising.
Toro - sidekick of the original Human Torch - Tied up or otherwise immobilized in about 1/3 of the covers he appears on. For the most part they chain him or put him in an airtight box rather than tying him with rope. Particularly neat was this dynamite-lined plastic capsule.
In just about every instance of a sidekick being captured, the main hero is in the process of rescuing him. Robin is never worried, and apparently has all confidence in his mentor; Toro and Bucky occasionally display a bit of anxiety, but more often they are clearly ready to join the battle as soon as they are freed. I wondered what would be the dynamic here if there were no "adults"--so I looked at some covers of Timely's Young Allies series (a WWII-era book featuring a team of all kids, including Toro, Bucky, and four non-super types, possibly on the theory that the average joes would be easier for the young readers to relate to?). What happens is that the super-powered kids take the role of the older heroes with respect to the other team members--here in the first issue, all of the other kids have been tied up by the Red Skull (and, apparently, Hitler himself, who had nothing better to do in 1941). In fact, out of twenty issues, all but four featured at least some of the non-super kids tied up or otherwise captured. Someone has to be the rescue-ee, I guess. They also--unlike Toro or Bucky--are often armed on these covers, presumably an equalizer to put them more on a level with the powered kids. (Yes, I know Bucky didn't have any super powers per se.)
I haven't seen it and I probably won't
My older daughter went with a friend to see the new X-Men movie yesterday. She said she liked it but it was hard to follow because she kept expecting it to be more like the book; she'd rank it second among the three, thinks the first was the best and the second the worst.
Personally, I don't like movies based on comics. Seriously, I don't. I think it's good that they make them, because I think it's probably good for comics on the whole, but I don't particularly want to see them.
And it's not because I'm so anal-retentive that I can't stand seeing different interpretations and spend the whole time saying "that's not how it happened," as if a fictional comic world has a greater reality than a fictional movie world--I've never read Spider-Man or the Hulk (apart from their appearances in some other books), have no particular sense of where they should fit, and I didn't want to see those movies either.
One thing, I think, is that the movies are necessarily removed from any continuity with the rest of the Marvel universe. Spider-Man in a movie isn't going to run into the Human Torch. Any movie superhero is the only one. (Unless the movie is about a team, such as the X-Men or Fantastic Four movies. Then they are the only group. Villains they have, other heroes they don't.) For some reason, I don't like that--I prefer it when there's a whole implied superhuman community out there.
Another part of it is that the superhero thing seems to require a greater suspension of disbelief when I see it on the big screen than it does when I read it in a book, regardless of special effects (which are indeed pretty cool these days). Possibly it's that I don't feel the same connection to comics when they're taken out of the familiar--that I don't relate to comics on screen as I do to comics in books because comic books have such a strong "comfort reading" factor. But I just don't get the same feeling about heroes in movies as I do about heroes in books.
This all makes perfect sense to me, so it's annoying as hell when a new comic-based movie is coming out and people who know I like comics assume that I'm excited about it, or that I plan to see it, and generally I don't know a thing about it apart from possibly who's playing what part. I do generally see the movies eventually, because generally at some point my husband will bring them home on DVD. And I'll admit that the Fantastic Four movie was pretty good. (And I'll also say that when he brought Daredevil home I left the room to do something else. :))
Personally, I don't like movies based on comics. Seriously, I don't. I think it's good that they make them, because I think it's probably good for comics on the whole, but I don't particularly want to see them.
And it's not because I'm so anal-retentive that I can't stand seeing different interpretations and spend the whole time saying "that's not how it happened," as if a fictional comic world has a greater reality than a fictional movie world--I've never read Spider-Man or the Hulk (apart from their appearances in some other books), have no particular sense of where they should fit, and I didn't want to see those movies either.
One thing, I think, is that the movies are necessarily removed from any continuity with the rest of the Marvel universe. Spider-Man in a movie isn't going to run into the Human Torch. Any movie superhero is the only one. (Unless the movie is about a team, such as the X-Men or Fantastic Four movies. Then they are the only group. Villains they have, other heroes they don't.) For some reason, I don't like that--I prefer it when there's a whole implied superhuman community out there.
Another part of it is that the superhero thing seems to require a greater suspension of disbelief when I see it on the big screen than it does when I read it in a book, regardless of special effects (which are indeed pretty cool these days). Possibly it's that I don't feel the same connection to comics when they're taken out of the familiar--that I don't relate to comics on screen as I do to comics in books because comic books have such a strong "comfort reading" factor. But I just don't get the same feeling about heroes in movies as I do about heroes in books.
This all makes perfect sense to me, so it's annoying as hell when a new comic-based movie is coming out and people who know I like comics assume that I'm excited about it, or that I plan to see it, and generally I don't know a thing about it apart from possibly who's playing what part. I do generally see the movies eventually, because generally at some point my husband will bring them home on DVD. And I'll admit that the Fantastic Four movie was pretty good. (And I'll also say that when he brought Daredevil home I left the room to do something else. :))
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Comics on DVD-ROM
Specifically, 40 Years of the Avengers, which arrived today. This has got to be the coolest thing since ever. I don't know what I like best--reading the older ones for the very first time (including the ads for Sea Monkeys or Charles Atlas), or rereading childhood favorites I'm too lazy to dig out of the longboxes (and just why did the Avengers ever think it was a good idea to invite Dr. Druid to join in the first place?) , or filling in the gaps from the last few times (once in the 80s, once for most of the 90s) I gave up on comics.
These are amazing. Not something I'm going to sit down and read through, because my eyes just aren't that good anymore. And because reading a lot of older comics one after the other wears on the brain because they are so episodic, and there's a lot of reiteration of particular points, including just why these people are so filled with anguish. The Marvel Essentials books, for example--I've got them for Iron Man and for Captain America, and damn! You probably don't notice it, reading a book a month, but read them all at once and you're smacked over the head with Tony Stark's misery at being unable to have a relationship because he's stuck in his armor (and come to think of it, just how did he manage to casually date all those women without ever taking off his shirt? --the 60s were a more innocent time, to be sure) or Captain America's overriding guilt concerning Bucky and subsequent fear of anything happening to Sharon (at one point he insisted that she take a desk job--and she agreed!--unbelievable!). Nothing wrong with either theme per se, of course, but I guess I've gotten used to the modern tendency toward multi-issue story arcs..
But 40 Years of the Avengers? Definitely a good buy. Although the navigation is not optimal, and I'd love to see some sort of indexing system, maybe a linkable list of different team members' appearances? But you can't have everything.
These are amazing. Not something I'm going to sit down and read through, because my eyes just aren't that good anymore. And because reading a lot of older comics one after the other wears on the brain because they are so episodic, and there's a lot of reiteration of particular points, including just why these people are so filled with anguish. The Marvel Essentials books, for example--I've got them for Iron Man and for Captain America, and damn! You probably don't notice it, reading a book a month, but read them all at once and you're smacked over the head with Tony Stark's misery at being unable to have a relationship because he's stuck in his armor (and come to think of it, just how did he manage to casually date all those women without ever taking off his shirt? --the 60s were a more innocent time, to be sure) or Captain America's overriding guilt concerning Bucky and subsequent fear of anything happening to Sharon (at one point he insisted that she take a desk job--and she agreed!--unbelievable!). Nothing wrong with either theme per se, of course, but I guess I've gotten used to the modern tendency toward multi-issue story arcs..
But 40 Years of the Avengers? Definitely a good buy. Although the navigation is not optimal, and I'd love to see some sort of indexing system, maybe a linkable list of different team members' appearances? But you can't have everything.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Oh, and a short note about kid sidekicks
Never saw much of these myself--Marvel didn't really do them by the 70s, apart from Rick Jones, who used to hang with the Hulk and later with Captains America and Marvel. But Batman had Robin, and didn't some of the other DC heroes have young partners as well until relatively recently? My impression is that kids don't like them, at least my kids. Robin in the Titans interests them, Robin as Batman's little buddy does not.
But I never thought about it much until recently, when I acquired a few reprint books of Golden Age comics., including reprints of issues 1-4 and 6-10 of Captain America from the 1940s. Out of the nine covers for those issues, seven feature a captive, bound Bucky being rescued by CA. That doesn't sound like something a kid would find all that appealing, does it? Regardless of why they're reading the books.
But I never thought about it much until recently, when I acquired a few reprint books of Golden Age comics., including reprints of issues 1-4 and 6-10 of Captain America from the 1940s. Out of the nine covers for those issues, seven feature a captive, bound Bucky being rescued by CA. That doesn't sound like something a kid would find all that appealing, does it? Regardless of why they're reading the books.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Comics for kids
There was recently a thread on one of the Comicboards forums about child-appropriate comics published by Marvel. Since I have kids, this has been an interest of mine for a while.
I used to get them some of the DC superhero books for younger readers--the Justice League book (when they were fans of the cartoon series) and the Teen Titans book. I was pleased to see that Marvel had begun making kid-friendly titles as well, and will be getting the Avengers one for my 7-year-old (can't say anything about the book yet, since our comics won't arrive until next month).
As for the older one, it's really pretty rare that I won't let her read something that comes in. Okay, Alias is right out! :) But--after some thought--I did let her read the Ultimates hardcover I picked up (the point troubling me there was Hank Pym beating the crap out of the Wasp). And most of the mainstream books I get are, I think, fine, although I do make a point of reading them first. (My judgment is possibly colored by the fact that when I was a seventh-grader I read The Godfather. Big thick paperback. Loaned it to a acquaintance, who ruined it and returned it to me with the spine curled and the back cover gone. Bastard.)
But she prefers books with younger characters, and has been particularly fond of the main DC Teen Titans book (not the kid version). She likes the X-books, and Kitty Pryde is her all-time favorite character. Is less interested in Young Avengers and never seemed to care much for the most recent Legion of Superheroes run, although in general she prefers team books to single-character titles.
And I'm not sure why I feel it's important for my kids to love comics. I'm sure it has something to do with a potential shared interest, but as I think I've said elsewhere, comic books are not something that most kids today have much interest in. In part this is the cost ($2.99 is a lot more of an investment than 40 cents used to be), and in part it's the many other things kids have to spend their time on now--video games and the internet, for two (and I have nothing against either, have spent plenty of my own time indulging in them).
It's certainly true that kids are no longer the first audience for comics--do they even use the Comics Code anymore?--but that was a gradual development, and even back in the day, many of the better books had mature (meaning complex or sophisticated) themes in spots. (And I've never noticed pre-teens making a point of avoiding media--R-rated movies and so forth--that is intended for older folks--if they can get to it, they will.) I'm pretty sure that I'm not the first audience for comics, either--I'm older and less male than that--but I still enjoy them.
So we'll see what we think of the Marvel Adventures line. If the Avengers book goes over well, maybe we'll add one or two of the others (I think they have a Spider-Man and a Fantastic Four). I'm really curious as to what will be different about these books.
I used to get them some of the DC superhero books for younger readers--the Justice League book (when they were fans of the cartoon series) and the Teen Titans book. I was pleased to see that Marvel had begun making kid-friendly titles as well, and will be getting the Avengers one for my 7-year-old (can't say anything about the book yet, since our comics won't arrive until next month).
As for the older one, it's really pretty rare that I won't let her read something that comes in. Okay, Alias is right out! :) But--after some thought--I did let her read the Ultimates hardcover I picked up (the point troubling me there was Hank Pym beating the crap out of the Wasp). And most of the mainstream books I get are, I think, fine, although I do make a point of reading them first. (My judgment is possibly colored by the fact that when I was a seventh-grader I read The Godfather. Big thick paperback. Loaned it to a acquaintance, who ruined it and returned it to me with the spine curled and the back cover gone. Bastard.)
But she prefers books with younger characters, and has been particularly fond of the main DC Teen Titans book (not the kid version). She likes the X-books, and Kitty Pryde is her all-time favorite character. Is less interested in Young Avengers and never seemed to care much for the most recent Legion of Superheroes run, although in general she prefers team books to single-character titles.
And I'm not sure why I feel it's important for my kids to love comics. I'm sure it has something to do with a potential shared interest, but as I think I've said elsewhere, comic books are not something that most kids today have much interest in. In part this is the cost ($2.99 is a lot more of an investment than 40 cents used to be), and in part it's the many other things kids have to spend their time on now--video games and the internet, for two (and I have nothing against either, have spent plenty of my own time indulging in them).
It's certainly true that kids are no longer the first audience for comics--do they even use the Comics Code anymore?--but that was a gradual development, and even back in the day, many of the better books had mature (meaning complex or sophisticated) themes in spots. (And I've never noticed pre-teens making a point of avoiding media--R-rated movies and so forth--that is intended for older folks--if they can get to it, they will.) I'm pretty sure that I'm not the first audience for comics, either--I'm older and less male than that--but I still enjoy them.
So we'll see what we think of the Marvel Adventures line. If the Avengers book goes over well, maybe we'll add one or two of the others (I think they have a Spider-Man and a Fantastic Four). I'm really curious as to what will be different about these books.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Marvel Legends action figures, part 3
Beast (X-Men Box Set) - I expected this to be the same as the Beast we already had, and mostly he is, but he's better at standing upright (something in the hip joints). I guess this means we have one Beast to go with the X-Men and another to hang with the Avengers.
Bullseye - This is where I show how well Toybiz' marketing strategy works, because I'd never have purchased him if I wasn't trying to put together the Galactus figure. It's a decent figure--flexible and posable, although the paint job could be better (white on black doesn't take too well, apparently)--but I have never read Daredevil. Ah well, he will just have to fight the Avengers.
Gambit (X-Men Box Set) - Very nice design, very playable (well articulated, very flexible), and looks good--looks like the character, in fact. The face is excellent.
Magneto (X-Men Box Set) - Decently articulated, flexible. The helmet doesn't fit very well and I'm afraid it's destined to be lost at some point. Otherwise a good toy.
Original Grey Hulk - Possibly this is just my copy, but he isn't terribly grey, more of a grey turning to green (or is it a green turning to grey?). It's actually a neat effect, color-wise, so I won't complain, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional. A little stiff in some joints, but reasonably flexible for such a broad figure.
Rogue (X-Men Box Set) - Looks fine from a short distance, but the body is odd--the hip joints in particular, the butt cheeks are articulated and the legs, apparently, permanently spread. The face is terrible--she looks like she's had more Botox and collagen than is probably legal. The costume looks good, though.
Wolverine (X-Men Box Set) - Larger and more muscular than the other Wolverine we have. Has no mask and the head seems permanently cocked to one side, Nice toy, though--posable, flexible, decent design. (And these days you need more than one Wolverine just to keep up with all of his appearances!)
Bullseye - This is where I show how well Toybiz' marketing strategy works, because I'd never have purchased him if I wasn't trying to put together the Galactus figure. It's a decent figure--flexible and posable, although the paint job could be better (white on black doesn't take too well, apparently)--but I have never read Daredevil. Ah well, he will just have to fight the Avengers.
Gambit (X-Men Box Set) - Very nice design, very playable (well articulated, very flexible), and looks good--looks like the character, in fact. The face is excellent.
Magneto (X-Men Box Set) - Decently articulated, flexible. The helmet doesn't fit very well and I'm afraid it's destined to be lost at some point. Otherwise a good toy.
Original Grey Hulk - Possibly this is just my copy, but he isn't terribly grey, more of a grey turning to green (or is it a green turning to grey?). It's actually a neat effect, color-wise, so I won't complain, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional. A little stiff in some joints, but reasonably flexible for such a broad figure.
Rogue (X-Men Box Set) - Looks fine from a short distance, but the body is odd--the hip joints in particular, the butt cheeks are articulated and the legs, apparently, permanently spread. The face is terrible--she looks like she's had more Botox and collagen than is probably legal. The costume looks good, though.
Wolverine (X-Men Box Set) - Larger and more muscular than the other Wolverine we have. Has no mask and the head seems permanently cocked to one side, Nice toy, though--posable, flexible, decent design. (And these days you need more than one Wolverine just to keep up with all of his appearances!)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
My get list
I guess it's called a "pull list" if you're lucky enough to have a local comic shop. We haven't had one of those in years. We used to, of the "some guy selling comics in his basement" sort--it was a real store, shelves and cash register and everything, but it was in the basement of his home. When he started to do all right, he moved to a storefront in town; of course that didn't last, small towns can rarely support specialty stores and comics are no exception, and so we have no comic shop. Very sad.
So I went online, and now we get our comics from a store in...Texas? It might be Texas, I don't remember offhand, and I guess it doesn't matter, because they have excellent service. Once a month I log in and make my selections from that month's books. I have them shipped once a month as well, because with age comes not only patience but, apparently, cheapness; also, if I had them shipped more often, every single package wouldn't contain something for each of my daughters, and that would be a bad thing.
Currently I get:
Captain America - Probably my favorite book, currently, and no one is more surprised at that than I am. I read it as a kid because I liked the character, but more often than not I liked him better in The Avengers than I did in his solo book. Now, however, it's the book I most look forward to every month.
Fantastic Four - Plenty of nostalgia value, even when the books are "meh."
Iron Man - I'm looking forward to this one more now--those long delays between the first six issues came close to driving me away, though. Always did like the armor concept, not so sure about the Extremis version but there seems to be some story-telling potential there, but I'm guessing it's a temporary thing.
Moon Knight - I never read the old Moon Knight comics--although I recently picked up the Essential Moon Knight book and will read it at some point--but I'm liking this one so far. "So far" as in I've read the first issue (my monthly comics arrive at the end of the month).
Ms. Marvel - The first issue was fun, we'll see how it goes from there. Lots of nostalgia value in this one as well, since I read the first run as a kid. I like the character, although I haven't necessarily enjoyed all of the changes she went through over the years.
New Avengers - Still more nostalgia value, and overall I enjoy the book. I always liked the odd mixes of characters that the old Avengers book threw together, so the complaint I often hear about this not being the "real" Avengers doesn't hold true for me. I'm enjoying seeing Spider-Woman as well (I've got her entire original run in a box on the porch), although I didn't care much for her recent mini-series.
She-Hulk - I only recently started reading this book, picked up the trade paperbacks and added it to my list a month or two ago. It's a tremendous amount of fun!
The Thing - I've always liked this character a lot, and the book was decent--I would certainly keep getting it, but I hear it's been cancelled.
Ultimates 2 - I've enjoyed this one a lot and will be sorry to see it go when it's over. I got into the Ultimates fairly late, bought the first series in hardcover.
Young Avengers - I picked it up to see what it was like, and it's turned out to be a favorite. I thought my kids would like it better than they do, though.
Temporarily on the list:
Civil War - Yes, I'm getting this. I don't expect it to be great, but I expect it to be decent overall. I got House of M as well, so sue me.
Recently I've dropped:
Legion of Superheroes - I tried, really I did, and some of the most recent run was very imaginative, but I finally gave it up when I realized that I had several months of this title that I hadn't gotten around to reading yet. I hated to do it--I used to love this book, loved it when I was a kid, loved the older Legion, even enjoyed it back when they had two Legions--but when you're not reading your comics as soon as you can, that's a sign of something.
So I went online, and now we get our comics from a store in...Texas? It might be Texas, I don't remember offhand, and I guess it doesn't matter, because they have excellent service. Once a month I log in and make my selections from that month's books. I have them shipped once a month as well, because with age comes not only patience but, apparently, cheapness; also, if I had them shipped more often, every single package wouldn't contain something for each of my daughters, and that would be a bad thing.
Currently I get:
Captain America - Probably my favorite book, currently, and no one is more surprised at that than I am. I read it as a kid because I liked the character, but more often than not I liked him better in The Avengers than I did in his solo book. Now, however, it's the book I most look forward to every month.
Fantastic Four - Plenty of nostalgia value, even when the books are "meh."
Iron Man - I'm looking forward to this one more now--those long delays between the first six issues came close to driving me away, though. Always did like the armor concept, not so sure about the Extremis version but there seems to be some story-telling potential there, but I'm guessing it's a temporary thing.
Moon Knight - I never read the old Moon Knight comics--although I recently picked up the Essential Moon Knight book and will read it at some point--but I'm liking this one so far. "So far" as in I've read the first issue (my monthly comics arrive at the end of the month).
Ms. Marvel - The first issue was fun, we'll see how it goes from there. Lots of nostalgia value in this one as well, since I read the first run as a kid. I like the character, although I haven't necessarily enjoyed all of the changes she went through over the years.
New Avengers - Still more nostalgia value, and overall I enjoy the book. I always liked the odd mixes of characters that the old Avengers book threw together, so the complaint I often hear about this not being the "real" Avengers doesn't hold true for me. I'm enjoying seeing Spider-Woman as well (I've got her entire original run in a box on the porch), although I didn't care much for her recent mini-series.
She-Hulk - I only recently started reading this book, picked up the trade paperbacks and added it to my list a month or two ago. It's a tremendous amount of fun!
The Thing - I've always liked this character a lot, and the book was decent--I would certainly keep getting it, but I hear it's been cancelled.
Ultimates 2 - I've enjoyed this one a lot and will be sorry to see it go when it's over. I got into the Ultimates fairly late, bought the first series in hardcover.
Young Avengers - I picked it up to see what it was like, and it's turned out to be a favorite. I thought my kids would like it better than they do, though.
Temporarily on the list:
Civil War - Yes, I'm getting this. I don't expect it to be great, but I expect it to be decent overall. I got House of M as well, so sue me.
Recently I've dropped:
Legion of Superheroes - I tried, really I did, and some of the most recent run was very imaginative, but I finally gave it up when I realized that I had several months of this title that I hadn't gotten around to reading yet. I hated to do it--I used to love this book, loved it when I was a kid, loved the older Legion, even enjoyed it back when they had two Legions--but when you're not reading your comics as soon as you can, that's a sign of something.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Marvel Legends action figures, part 2
Deathlok - Flexible, posable, well-articulated. The gun is a little difficult to keep out of the way, but otherwise nicely done, and looks good.
Dr. Doom (FF Box Set) - The cape is a bit ill-fitting, and conceals the face when the mask is on. A little stiff but decently articulated. Good toy overall.
Franklin Richards (FF Box Set) - Very little articulation--the neck and waist turn, and the arms and legs are movable only at the shoulder and hip. However, he is a kid, which my kids like and which makes up for his relative stiffness.
Human Torch (FF Box Set) - Not as articulated as some of the other figures in the set, the neck has no back-and-forth motion at all and the legs are permanently slightly spread. The chest is loose to the point where if you arch the back you see the workings of the toy, so this is potentially a point where it will break easily. Otherwise decent, and I quite like the black-lines-on-red flame effect (just like they drew him in the comics when I was a kid!).
Iceman - Very cool design, I like the frosty blue skin. Nicely articulated in general, posable and flexible, a little stiff at the hip. I'm wondering if they used the same body as on the Vision. Nice toy.
Invisible Girl (FF Box Set) - A nice, solid figure, flexible and well articulated. The neck is unattractive (this seems to be a problem when the neckarea is light-colored rather than dark, as the joint is more visible against a light background). The hair is wrong, a light brown rather than Sue's usual bright blonde (Johnny and Franklin also have this). Good toy.
Mr. Fantastic (FF Box Set) - Nicely articulated, flexible and posable. Wearing a cloth lab coat, which comes off (thank goodness!). The face has about the doofiest expression I've yet seen on one of these things, and he has apparently been at the Grecian Formula, because he lacks any grey whatsoever! (Mr. Fantastic has always had greying temples, hasn't he? I read FF when I was quite young, and I'm pretty sure he always had them.)
Mystique - Good-looking toy, flexible, posable. Rather more petite than I'd have thought Mystique to be (seems to have some of the same body as the Scarlet Witch) but still quite nice. The hair, though--shouldn't it be red? Here it's barely auburn.
Nick Fury - Posable, flexible, good design. The neck and waist could be better but it doesn't affect playability at all. And his gun has a holster, so will be less likely to be lost! My main gripe: Nick has also been borrowing Reed Richard's stash of hair dye, because he has lost all his grey.
Omega Red - Looks good. Not as flexible as some, but posable. His...coils? Whatever you call them, they come off easily.
Phoenix - Beautiful--posable, flexible, nicely articulated, a great toy. And looks wonderful. A bit loose at the chest joint but otherwise perfect.
Storm - Very nicely done, flexible and posable. The cape looks a bit fragile for anything other than gentle play and I expect it will come off eventually. No other complaints.
Submariner - Really good-looking figure, even the face is right, which you can't count on. The waist could be more articulated but that's a minor quibble. Overall very good.
The Thing (FF Box Set) - Very loose at the chest joint (same as the Human Torch); there is unattractive gapping there, as well as at the shoulder joints. Acceptable articulation.
Dr. Doom (FF Box Set) - The cape is a bit ill-fitting, and conceals the face when the mask is on. A little stiff but decently articulated. Good toy overall.
Franklin Richards (FF Box Set) - Very little articulation--the neck and waist turn, and the arms and legs are movable only at the shoulder and hip. However, he is a kid, which my kids like and which makes up for his relative stiffness.
Human Torch (FF Box Set) - Not as articulated as some of the other figures in the set, the neck has no back-and-forth motion at all and the legs are permanently slightly spread. The chest is loose to the point where if you arch the back you see the workings of the toy, so this is potentially a point where it will break easily. Otherwise decent, and I quite like the black-lines-on-red flame effect (just like they drew him in the comics when I was a kid!).
Iceman - Very cool design, I like the frosty blue skin. Nicely articulated in general, posable and flexible, a little stiff at the hip. I'm wondering if they used the same body as on the Vision. Nice toy.
Invisible Girl (FF Box Set) - A nice, solid figure, flexible and well articulated. The neck is unattractive (this seems to be a problem when the neckarea is light-colored rather than dark, as the joint is more visible against a light background). The hair is wrong, a light brown rather than Sue's usual bright blonde (Johnny and Franklin also have this). Good toy.
Mr. Fantastic (FF Box Set) - Nicely articulated, flexible and posable. Wearing a cloth lab coat, which comes off (thank goodness!). The face has about the doofiest expression I've yet seen on one of these things, and he has apparently been at the Grecian Formula, because he lacks any grey whatsoever! (Mr. Fantastic has always had greying temples, hasn't he? I read FF when I was quite young, and I'm pretty sure he always had them.)
Mystique - Good-looking toy, flexible, posable. Rather more petite than I'd have thought Mystique to be (seems to have some of the same body as the Scarlet Witch) but still quite nice. The hair, though--shouldn't it be red? Here it's barely auburn.
Nick Fury - Posable, flexible, good design. The neck and waist could be better but it doesn't affect playability at all. And his gun has a holster, so will be less likely to be lost! My main gripe: Nick has also been borrowing Reed Richard's stash of hair dye, because he has lost all his grey.
Omega Red - Looks good. Not as flexible as some, but posable. His...coils? Whatever you call them, they come off easily.
Phoenix - Beautiful--posable, flexible, nicely articulated, a great toy. And looks wonderful. A bit loose at the chest joint but otherwise perfect.
Storm - Very nicely done, flexible and posable. The cape looks a bit fragile for anything other than gentle play and I expect it will come off eventually. No other complaints.
Submariner - Really good-looking figure, even the face is right, which you can't count on. The waist could be more articulated but that's a minor quibble. Overall very good.
The Thing (FF Box Set) - Very loose at the chest joint (same as the Human Torch); there is unattractive gapping there, as well as at the shoulder joints. Acceptable articulation.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
A parent's guide to Marvel Legends figures
Marvel Legends action figures are #1 on the list of toys I wish they had when I was a kid. We have been amassing a horde of these things, and they are easily the most popular toys in the house, played with every day, brought out when there are guests. The quality, however, varies considerably. Some are excellent, others...not.
Generally speaking, the more muscular figures are (as you'd expect) less posable. All those jokes about body-builders who are so buff they can't reach their face to brush their teeth? That's pretty much the case with the Marvel Legends, although it isn't necessarily a difficulty as far as playability goes. More slender figures are usually easier to pose. In addition, figures designed to use a particular object (included with the toy) are sometimes worthless for any other way of playing.
Angel - This figure is a little delicate--ours broke at the hip upon first being played with and had to be fixed with superglue and a C-clamp. He looks fine now but the kids know they have to be careful with him, which isn't what you want. The wings are heavy and come off easily (fortunately they are easy to put back on as well). Apart from that he is flexible, posable, an excellent toy.
Beast - A little difficult to play with because he's so large, and off-balance when you try to pose him. The snarl is a little off-putting. Overall decent, but the kids don't play with him too much.
Bishop - Reasonably posable considering the muscles, he can't do much with his arms but that doesn't seem to be a problem for my kids. He looks great, far better than I'd have expected possible given Bishop's design. He can easily stand on his own, depending on the pose, which makes him even more playable. The guns he comes with are usable, and the fact that he is wearing holsters to store them with is a real plus, and hopefully they won't be as prone to getting lost as some of the other bits and pieces that came with these toys.
Black Panther - I'm told that he has the same body sculpt as Wonder Man, and he is about the same in terms of flexibility and posability. The cape is pretty nifty, though.
Black Widow - She was the reigning favorite among my kids until X-23 came along. Posable, flexible, looks great (well, the throat looks like hell with that visible joint). And is a female figure, which is a vote in her favor as far as my girls are concerned.
Captain America - Flexible and posable, looks really good. The waist is pretty loose, and the hip joints are extremely so, which makes it almost impossible to stand him up because he immediately bends and falls over. Overall, however, this is one of my favorites.
Cyclops - Lousy paint job, can't bend at the waist, doesn't seem to be able to move the head back and forth (I suppose I could try harder but I don't want to decapitate the fellow). Very grim expression, not that that matters much.
Doctor Strange - Posable, fairly flexible, can stand on his own for brief periods of time. Can turn at the waist but not bend; he can bend at the hip but the tunic gets in the way. This is unfortunate because his hands form horns, and if only he could bend he'd be ready for some serious headbanging. Looks good. The cape is excellent.
Giant-Man - Only has the most basic articulation. He came with an Ant-Man and a Wasp, both of which are small and minimally articulated. (The Wasp, as it happens, is in the kitchen in a bag with her head off, awaiting the miracle of superglue. Unlike her Marvel Zombies counterpart, she did not return to lifesize when decapitated.)
Hawkeye - Hawkeye was designed to ride his flying scooter thing, and if he's not on that he has a hard time. He can't sit normally because his hip joints won't move back and forth (off to one side is fine, though). He's also hunched forward somewhat. All this combines to make him one of the more difficult figures to play with.
Hulk (Maestro) - Somewhat flexible, and reasonably posable for such a large, muscular figure.
Iron Fist - Flexible and posable, very good toy. The ties on his headdress tend to mash against his collar, and we haven't yet figured out how to use those flame things that go on his hands, but overall very good.
Iron Man (Red and Gold Armor) - Loose in the waist, the arms don't move as much as one might like, and the mask comes off too easily. Otherwise, reasonably posable and flexible, and looks pretty good.
Iron Man (Red and Silver Armor) - Reasonably posable and flexible considering the armor; the arms are blocked from much motion by the shoulder pieces. The mask comes off easily if played with much, and the face reminds me of how much better Tony Stark looks with the goatee (which he of course lacks here).
Iron Man (Modern Armor) - Reasonably posable, including the arms. The mask comes off, of course. Decent play value.
Mr. Sinister - Looks great! (The kids love the cape.) Slightly stiff but posable, stands alone easily. He was the first actual "bad guy" we acquired, so he gets a good workout being defeated, over and over.
Nightcrawler - Flexible, posable, can stand alone, good design, excellent toy!
Professor X - Nicely done! Posable, flexible, and of proportions that look like those of a normal non-super being (not scrawny). Even the suit looks all right.
Sabretooth - Fairly loose in the waist (you can spin it) but otherwise highly flexible and posable, although the collar gets in the way of the arms a bit.
Sasquatch - Very flexible for such a large figure--definitely has good playability, and looks good as well.
Scarlet Witch - She is thinner than she ought to be; I suppose that's to differentiate her from more muscular figures, but Wanda has always been curvy, and this figure makes her look malnourished. She is extremely flexible and reasonably posable, but cannot stand on her own for even a moment. She seems to be designed so that she can strike that one-hip-out spell-casting pose, and she can definitely do that, but it's harder to get her into any other positions.
Spider-Man (Original Appearance). - The netted webbing looks like hell, honestly. Otherwise, a little stiff (okay, a lot stiff, I keep worrying about taking a leg off!). The design seems all right, it's the execution that's the problem.
Vision - One of the most flexible, posable figures I've seen. the Vision can get into some positions that other action figures can only dream of. He's hunched forward slightly, which I don't care for, but otherwise I have no complaints about this design.
War Machine - The shoulder pieces make it hard to do much with the arms, but he's reasonably posable and looks pretty good. As with all of the armored figures, the mask tends to come off (and get lost, although so far we've always been able to recover it). I suppose that would be a choking hazard if you had kids under 3, but I don't, so I don't worry about it.
Wolverine - (Not sure which version, he has a blue and yellow costume, a mask, gritting his teeth.) Posable, playable, a little loose in the waist. Reasonably flexible, looks good.
Wonder Man - Muscular, a bit stiff in places, has that hunched-over look that some of the other figures have. Reasonable posable, not all that flexible. Decent toy.
X-23 - A female character and a young one besides, so the girls love her. Flexible and posable, doesn't stand very well, and the head is out of proportion, but she has taken over the title of Toy Most Fought Over from the Black Widow, so what do I know?
Generally speaking, the more muscular figures are (as you'd expect) less posable. All those jokes about body-builders who are so buff they can't reach their face to brush their teeth? That's pretty much the case with the Marvel Legends, although it isn't necessarily a difficulty as far as playability goes. More slender figures are usually easier to pose. In addition, figures designed to use a particular object (included with the toy) are sometimes worthless for any other way of playing.
Angel - This figure is a little delicate--ours broke at the hip upon first being played with and had to be fixed with superglue and a C-clamp. He looks fine now but the kids know they have to be careful with him, which isn't what you want. The wings are heavy and come off easily (fortunately they are easy to put back on as well). Apart from that he is flexible, posable, an excellent toy.
Beast - A little difficult to play with because he's so large, and off-balance when you try to pose him. The snarl is a little off-putting. Overall decent, but the kids don't play with him too much.
Bishop - Reasonably posable considering the muscles, he can't do much with his arms but that doesn't seem to be a problem for my kids. He looks great, far better than I'd have expected possible given Bishop's design. He can easily stand on his own, depending on the pose, which makes him even more playable. The guns he comes with are usable, and the fact that he is wearing holsters to store them with is a real plus, and hopefully they won't be as prone to getting lost as some of the other bits and pieces that came with these toys.
Black Panther - I'm told that he has the same body sculpt as Wonder Man, and he is about the same in terms of flexibility and posability. The cape is pretty nifty, though.
Black Widow - She was the reigning favorite among my kids until X-23 came along. Posable, flexible, looks great (well, the throat looks like hell with that visible joint). And is a female figure, which is a vote in her favor as far as my girls are concerned.
Captain America - Flexible and posable, looks really good. The waist is pretty loose, and the hip joints are extremely so, which makes it almost impossible to stand him up because he immediately bends and falls over. Overall, however, this is one of my favorites.
Cyclops - Lousy paint job, can't bend at the waist, doesn't seem to be able to move the head back and forth (I suppose I could try harder but I don't want to decapitate the fellow). Very grim expression, not that that matters much.
Doctor Strange - Posable, fairly flexible, can stand on his own for brief periods of time. Can turn at the waist but not bend; he can bend at the hip but the tunic gets in the way. This is unfortunate because his hands form horns, and if only he could bend he'd be ready for some serious headbanging. Looks good. The cape is excellent.
Giant-Man - Only has the most basic articulation. He came with an Ant-Man and a Wasp, both of which are small and minimally articulated. (The Wasp, as it happens, is in the kitchen in a bag with her head off, awaiting the miracle of superglue. Unlike her Marvel Zombies counterpart, she did not return to lifesize when decapitated.)
Hawkeye - Hawkeye was designed to ride his flying scooter thing, and if he's not on that he has a hard time. He can't sit normally because his hip joints won't move back and forth (off to one side is fine, though). He's also hunched forward somewhat. All this combines to make him one of the more difficult figures to play with.
Hulk (Maestro) - Somewhat flexible, and reasonably posable for such a large, muscular figure.
Iron Fist - Flexible and posable, very good toy. The ties on his headdress tend to mash against his collar, and we haven't yet figured out how to use those flame things that go on his hands, but overall very good.
Iron Man (Red and Gold Armor) - Loose in the waist, the arms don't move as much as one might like, and the mask comes off too easily. Otherwise, reasonably posable and flexible, and looks pretty good.
Iron Man (Red and Silver Armor) - Reasonably posable and flexible considering the armor; the arms are blocked from much motion by the shoulder pieces. The mask comes off easily if played with much, and the face reminds me of how much better Tony Stark looks with the goatee (which he of course lacks here).
Iron Man (Modern Armor) - Reasonably posable, including the arms. The mask comes off, of course. Decent play value.
Mr. Sinister - Looks great! (The kids love the cape.) Slightly stiff but posable, stands alone easily. He was the first actual "bad guy" we acquired, so he gets a good workout being defeated, over and over.
Nightcrawler - Flexible, posable, can stand alone, good design, excellent toy!
Professor X - Nicely done! Posable, flexible, and of proportions that look like those of a normal non-super being (not scrawny). Even the suit looks all right.
Sabretooth - Fairly loose in the waist (you can spin it) but otherwise highly flexible and posable, although the collar gets in the way of the arms a bit.
Sasquatch - Very flexible for such a large figure--definitely has good playability, and looks good as well.
Scarlet Witch - She is thinner than she ought to be; I suppose that's to differentiate her from more muscular figures, but Wanda has always been curvy, and this figure makes her look malnourished. She is extremely flexible and reasonably posable, but cannot stand on her own for even a moment. She seems to be designed so that she can strike that one-hip-out spell-casting pose, and she can definitely do that, but it's harder to get her into any other positions.
Spider-Man (Original Appearance). - The netted webbing looks like hell, honestly. Otherwise, a little stiff (okay, a lot stiff, I keep worrying about taking a leg off!). The design seems all right, it's the execution that's the problem.
Vision - One of the most flexible, posable figures I've seen. the Vision can get into some positions that other action figures can only dream of. He's hunched forward slightly, which I don't care for, but otherwise I have no complaints about this design.
War Machine - The shoulder pieces make it hard to do much with the arms, but he's reasonably posable and looks pretty good. As with all of the armored figures, the mask tends to come off (and get lost, although so far we've always been able to recover it). I suppose that would be a choking hazard if you had kids under 3, but I don't, so I don't worry about it.
Wolverine - (Not sure which version, he has a blue and yellow costume, a mask, gritting his teeth.) Posable, playable, a little loose in the waist. Reasonably flexible, looks good.
Wonder Man - Muscular, a bit stiff in places, has that hunched-over look that some of the other figures have. Reasonable posable, not all that flexible. Decent toy.
X-23 - A female character and a young one besides, so the girls love her. Flexible and posable, doesn't stand very well, and the head is out of proportion, but she has taken over the title of Toy Most Fought Over from the Black Widow, so what do I know?
Monday, May 15, 2006
The inevitable introduction post
Born in the 60s, I was always a Marvel girl. Although Mom and Dad would occasionally bring home Superman or (more rarely) Batman, I always preferred the Marvel books (with occasional deviation--I always did like DC's Legion of Superheroes, in all its incarnations, until recently, but that's probably another post). My earliest favorite was Fantastic Four. By the time I hit middle school, Ben and company had been bumped by the Avengers; I think the Celestial Madonna saga was in progress when I started to buy the title regularly. The Avengers was also my first foray into buying back issues, when I asked for an outrageously expensive birthday present in a near-mint Avengers 4. (It was $20.00.) I picked up the X-Men when the "new" team was introduced. ("New" being Storm and Colossus and Nightcrawler and Wolverine and so forth.)
Unlike most kids (or, at least, most girls) I kept with the hobby through high school, but eventually stopped during college. Why? Less money, no place to keep the books, beer and dancing and even studying taking their place...
When I got out of school (late 80s), I picked it up again for a few years, but eventually stopped. The price had gone up, sure, and the art was often distracting (I don't mind the super-muscles, or the extra-long legs, or even the giant flotation-device breasts, but a resemblance to human anatomy is nice), but the real kiss of death was the crossovers! Months of buying books you didn't care about, months of no interesting activity in the books you did care about. Turned me off of the X-books for good, let me tell you!
So, years later, the new century. I'm married with two young daughters. I start to pick up an occasional comic at the bookstore (no, not a comic book store, those we don't have here, a regular newsstand/bookstore). And you know, they were better than they'd been ten years earlier. The art has improved considerably, to the point where I really notice when it's really bad (and I'm no expert) because the really bad is fairly rare. So I am back. Yeah, there's a nostalgia side to this. Avengers, check. Fantastic Four, check. And a new Ms. Marvel book? I've still got my complete run of the original! But I'm also really enjoying the Young Avengers. And She-Hulk. And the new Captain America book? When was the last time that Captain America was even readable, much less good? (Last time I read it regularly he was still dating Bernie, IIRC.) But now it's one of the books I most look forward to every month (yes, I get my comics monthly, with age comes patience, I suppose).
As for my kids, well, my older daughter likes DC. Teen Titans and JLA. (The younger one likes Scooby-Doo.) That and New X-Men. Well, she doesn't have to ask for most of the Marvel books because Mom is already getting them, so perhaps her own choices aren't a good gauge of her preferences.
Another cool thing I wish they'd had when I was a kid? The action figures! The Marvel Legends figures are so incredibly cool. A lot of variation in quality (read: playability), though. Hm, I see a future post there...
Unlike most kids (or, at least, most girls) I kept with the hobby through high school, but eventually stopped during college. Why? Less money, no place to keep the books, beer and dancing and even studying taking their place...
When I got out of school (late 80s), I picked it up again for a few years, but eventually stopped. The price had gone up, sure, and the art was often distracting (I don't mind the super-muscles, or the extra-long legs, or even the giant flotation-device breasts, but a resemblance to human anatomy is nice), but the real kiss of death was the crossovers! Months of buying books you didn't care about, months of no interesting activity in the books you did care about. Turned me off of the X-books for good, let me tell you!
So, years later, the new century. I'm married with two young daughters. I start to pick up an occasional comic at the bookstore (no, not a comic book store, those we don't have here, a regular newsstand/bookstore). And you know, they were better than they'd been ten years earlier. The art has improved considerably, to the point where I really notice when it's really bad (and I'm no expert) because the really bad is fairly rare. So I am back. Yeah, there's a nostalgia side to this. Avengers, check. Fantastic Four, check. And a new Ms. Marvel book? I've still got my complete run of the original! But I'm also really enjoying the Young Avengers. And She-Hulk. And the new Captain America book? When was the last time that Captain America was even readable, much less good? (Last time I read it regularly he was still dating Bernie, IIRC.) But now it's one of the books I most look forward to every month (yes, I get my comics monthly, with age comes patience, I suppose).
As for my kids, well, my older daughter likes DC. Teen Titans and JLA. (The younger one likes Scooby-Doo.) That and New X-Men. Well, she doesn't have to ask for most of the Marvel books because Mom is already getting them, so perhaps her own choices aren't a good gauge of her preferences.
Another cool thing I wish they'd had when I was a kid? The action figures! The Marvel Legends figures are so incredibly cool. A lot of variation in quality (read: playability), though. Hm, I see a future post there...
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The inevitable first post
I've spent the weekend reading WWII-era comics in reprint form--Marvel Masterworks and so forth. Lots of Captain America taking the mask from the villain (just like Scooby-Doo, as my daughters noted) to reveal the always-unexpected real bad guy of the story. I wasn't born until twenty years after these books were written, but they're great fun.
But really, this is a first post, and so it's okay to be content-free.
But really, this is a first post, and so it's okay to be content-free.
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